Alex Trelinski
ALICANTE Provincial Council president, Carlos Mazon, wants Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to exert more diplomatic pressure on the UK to get the country onto ‘Green’ travel lists.
Mazon, who also heads up the Costa Blanca Tourist Board, told a Digital tourism conference in Benidorm that Spain’s government should use coronavirus infection figures to persuade their UK counterparts that the country is a ‘safe destination’.
Carlos Mazon, from the Partido Popular, is the front-runner to take over from Isabel Boenig, who recently stood down as the PP leader in the Valencian parliament(Les Corts).
He has consistently criticised the socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and his Valencian presidential counterpart, Ximo Puig, for not doing enough to revive tourism in the wake of the pandemic.
Speaking yesterday(June 3), Carlos Mazon said: “It is now time for negotiation and pressure with the UK because we have pandemic figures that have taken a lot of effort, sacrifice, and jobs to achieve.”
Appealing directly to Pedro Sanchez, Mazon added: “He needs to take bilateral relations with the United Kingdom very seriously, because the British tourist market is vital, and the concept of safe tourism should be recognised on a bilateral basis.”
Mazon’s call came on the day that England’s revised ‘Green’ travel list did not include any parts of Spain in addition to removing Portugal from it.
His Benidorm speech also highlighted the safety of local beaches and that the Costa Blanca has 89 coveted ‘Blue Flag’ awards, the largest of any Spanish region.
“We are reopening our beaches with the greatest possible safety. Let us once again provide the happiness that we offer, share and generate here,” he proclaimed.
“During this crisis, every time a small door has opened for people to come to the Costa Blanca, tourists have arrived from the UK and France, as well as a larger than expected number of domestic visitors,” added Mazon.
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